Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES HENRY R. RUSSELL, OF NEW MARKET, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR 4TO HIMSELF PATENT OFFICE.

AND ISAAC S. RUSSELL, OFHSAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,780, dated September l, 1863.

To all whom it', may concern:

Beit known that 1,'H. R. RUSSELL, of New Market, in the county of Frederick and State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Device for Facilitating the Turning ot' Harvesting-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,'and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification', in which- Figure 1 represents my invention applied to the frame of a harvester. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the device, and Fig. 3 shows the same enlarged in a vertical elevation.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the three figures.

This invention relates to a device which is intended to take the place of the common caster-wheels hitherto used in reaping and mowing machines, the object ofwhich device is to facilitate the turning ot' machines wherein the outer supporting-wheel is arranged out ot' a line coinciding with the axis ot' the drivingwheel, and also to prevent the tilting ot' the platform in turning at corners.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The wheels which are applied to the outer end'ot the platform, or at the end of the cutting apparatus, are either applied to axles which are rigidly iixed to the machine at theseV points, or, what is most common, a casterwheel is used as an outer support. In the tormer instance, and where it is practicable to arrange the small wheel directly opposite to the main driving-wheel, there is very little or -no tilting ot the machine in turning corners;

but where it is necessary to use the casterwheel, or to arrange the plain wheel in rear ot the driving-wheel, there is great ditticulty experienced in turning the machine at corners, as the wheels drag and plow up the earth, in consequence of their'being set out of line with the center of motion ot' the machine, and incapable ot1 accommodating themselves to the sweep of the machine; or,when this is not the case, the caster-wheels (when these are used) are thrown so far from their point of support that the machine is tilted backward.

The drawings represent my invention applied to the frame-work of a common harvesting-machine, in which one large drivin g-wheel, A,is used, with one small wheel, B, for supporting the outer77 end ofthe platform,which wheel may be made of any desirable diameter, as my invention does not limit its size. The axle a ot' this wheel B passes through an oblong slot, b, in a horizontal plate, b', and receives on its inner end a nut, c, which is used to secure the axle a rigidly to this plate b', and also to loosen the axle when it is desired to adjust the outer end ot' the'frame of the machine higher or lower. To the ends of the vertically-slotted plate b are hinged two plates or wings, d d, the opposite ends of which are again hinged to a bracket, O, which is bolted rigidly to the dividing-beam of the frame ot' the machine, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. This bracket-plate is underneath of beam D, and it is furnished with two stop-pins, e e, one at each corner of the horizontal portion of' the plate, which control the extent ot' motion (vibration) ot' the two hinged wings d d, and prevent the circumference of the wheel B from coming in contact with the beam D in turning the machine short around. These swinging plates d d allow the wheels B to assume a position which is in a plane parallel to the side ot' the large driving-wheel A when the machine is drawn forward 1n a straight line; but in turtl-V ing the machine at corners this wheel B will assume the positionl indicated by the red lines. Fig. l. Then when the machine starts oft' again the plates d d willallow the wheel B to take its former position. i

Thus it will be seen that by the application of a very simple device the outer supporting' wheel, B, will accommodate itself to the circular movements of the machine, and as the vibration of the plates d d is so very slight in comparison tothat ot' a caster-wheel the hori zontal position of the platform will not be materially affected by the change of position of the wheel B.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters slotted and hinged plate, bf, whereby the ad- Patent, sjustment of the frame of the machine and the 1. The application to harvesting-'machines vibrating motion of the axle of wheel B are of an outer supporting-wheel, B, connected to obtained, substantially as described. the frame of the machine by means of hinged HENRY R. RUSSELL. plates d d, and a plate, b', operating substan- I Witnesses: tially as and forthe purposes described. J A0012 TRAYER, 2. Attaching the lWheel B to a verticallyl ELIAS MOUNT. 

